Film-splicing machine



M. METZGER. FILM SPLICINGl MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY I7, I9I8-l RENEWED APR. 22, 1922.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

v2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M. METZGEH.. FILM SPLICING MAG'HINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY I7, i918. RENEWED APR, 22. |922. 1,437,348.'

Patented Nev. ae, 1922.

i rr sar-A rss iirAurcICny Mnrzerm,y on MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

` FILM-summe MACHINE.y

Application mea'may 17, isaiaseriaino. 235,1

inexpensive apparatus vvhi'ch will quickly and easily splice 'moving picture ilmsl` `A Vfurther object is to providea device Which will 'successively clean, cement and lap the film ends and hold the lapped ends until they are dry. Tj f The device consists brieiiy' of-a basel containing fa' slide carrying the cleaning,"ce` menting and pressingdevices. The base also supports a pair oftables, on which'` the film ends to be spliced/are mounted. The slide (5o-operates with these tables to produce the lapping and pressing. l

- In the drawings which illustrate the inventionz- Figs. l' and 2 are respectively left `and ri lit'side elevations of the machine.

iig; 3 is plan View ofthe' device;

Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation. Fig. 5 `is a section on the line 5'-'-5 'Fig-1 ure 3.

Fig.` 6 is an inverted plan'viewof one of Referring more particularly to the drawings, l1 designatesabase having an under cut groove 12, in-Which a slide 1 3 is mounted. AThe base is `provided vivith'a `further gro'ovel/i extending part Way 'of its length for `the reception ofa stop 15 on the' bottom of .the slide. A pair of posts and 1'7'are' securedto the right and left'sides respec# tively of the base.

The post 16 carri a top 1.9, which may be clamped in any dei sired position by thev bar 20. .A cover 21.

hingedlv secured atits rea r edge'to the rearf edge of. the table and is rnotched atv its: front the tables shovvingthe lapping `mechanism--` l esy table 18 disposalp` transversely of the base and provided'with a4. Renewed Aprii 22, 1 922. `serial mi. 556,133.

sleeve and the spindle shoulder and urges the sleeve toward ythe pivotally supported end 'ofthe spindle. A stop 26 is provided limiting the yopening movement of the cover 21 and supporting the same when in open position.'` 1

The post 17 supportsy atable 27, which is kcut -avvay 'in its central portion and is provided with a slidable topI 28. The cover 29 instead of being hinged to thetable isliinged to'a1fra`1ne30,y which lies under the table', and is provlded Withflugs 31 which pass 'through the table openingandl are attached to the table top 28. The cover clamp32 andstop 33 are also attachedtofthe frame. `llt `Will vthus 'be seen thatthe cover'Will move with the table top. rA' spring 34 is provided on the frame 30 'engaging a pin 35 on the table and operatingfto force `the frame cover and table Ktop Ytoward the central axis of themachine. 'An adjustable 4stop 36 'in the frame abuts'the post 1,7 an'dfflimitssuch*inward movement'. A latch-'37 is mounted onkthe post in the tableopening and normally Vengages an l adjustable catch V38 on ythe ,iframe This latch is providedl with-a spring r 39, which tends to holdV it in engagement vwith the catch. 'The latch'operates to hold the table and frame avvay from the central axis of the machine against the urge ofthe spring 34. One'hend of the latch projects beyond the table, so thatitmay be oscillated to release the'table by'means hereafter' described. A resetting lkpini40 is slidably mounted in the po'st With one' of its ends'abutting the frame and the otherl end projecting beyond thek table, so asto be engaged 'for resetting the tablev ashere'after described- The inner end of the tabletop 28 is provided vvith a movable liplor. extension tlhaving aflimited in and out and: a r'limited vertical movement.v

`The `slide =13isv.provided from front to rear inthe order named With an operating handle' 42;y a knife 43 havingan inclined cutting edge; a vvater Well 44`from yWhich Water is fed through a 4vvick45 vmounted in the Well cover 46; a'cement Well 49 containing a cement applying Wheel 50 andi having an automatically operating cover 51; 'and a pivotally mounted presser lever `52.n The are preferably located .in these-me plane, While the knife and the presser lever are very slightly :offset "to the right,` as will be clearly seenf`lin Figure-3. .The cement -1ap" Wickbrush,VK dryingfroll and cement Wheel y plying wheel 50 is finedly mounted on a revoluble spindle 53, which is provided on the left side of the machine with a pinion 54, adapted to engage a rack mounted on the base for the purpose of imparting rotation to the wheel. The spindle 53 has a slight vertical movement and is upwardly pressed by springs 53a. The cover 51 is carried by an arm 56 pivotally mounted on the slide and provided with a spring 57, which operates normally to keep the cover tightly closed over the wheel. The operating lever 52 is provided with a spring 58 arranged to urge the upper end of the lever upwardly. The tail of the lever may conveniently bear against the supporting pivot of the arm 56 to limit the lever movement. ln addition to these elements, the slide is provided with a cam 59, which may convenientlybe in the form of a length of stiff spring wire eX- tending between the wells 44 rand 49.l This cam engages the underside of the movable lip 4l and presses it upwardly. A second cam 60 is provided on the slide in position to engage the resetting plunger 40, while al striker 61 is mounted on the slide in position to oscillate the latch f3?. post 62 is mounted onthe base in position to engage the under side of the cover arm 56.

In order to control the movement of the slide, a spring pressed arm 63 carrying a stop 64 is pivotally mounted on the post 16. At the front end of the slide a stop 65 is mounted having its lower surface inclined, so that it will ride over and depress the stop 64 during movement in one direction but will be arrested by the stop during movement in the opposite` direction. A y'second stop 66 is provided on the slide farther to the rear in position to engage the stop 64.

In order to hold the film to be spliced, the table top'19 is provided at the inner end with a pair of pins 67 adapted to enter the marginal perforations of the film. At the outer ends, both tables are provided with pins 66 adapted to engage the outer edges ofthe film. It will be clearly seen in Figures 3 and 4 that the knife 43 operates against the lip 41 of the sliding table top 26 and, therefore, at one side ofthe slot or space existing between the table tops for the passage of the various elements on the slide. it will be seen in Figure 4 that the cover 2l is provided with an extension 69 f which overlaps this space. The cover 2l is also provided with a resiliently "mounted presser foot 70, which bears downwardly on the table top extension 41.

The operation of the device is as follow l rl`he slide is vset in its rearmost position and the covers 21 and 29 opened. The two ends of a film are brought into overlapping relation and laid on the table tops, sensitized sides down, the lower filmheing on the left hand table and the upper on the right hand. The films are secured by placing them on the pins 67 and are held in proper alignment by the pins 68. lThe covers are than clamped down and the machine is ready to operate. It will be noted that when thus arranged, the overlapping` portion of the film spans the gap between the tables and is covered over by the extension .69 of the cover 21. The shortened cover 29 exposes the film lying on the lip 41, against which it is held by the presser foot 70. The slide is now drawn forward, so that the knife forces its way between the cover extension 69 and the movable lip 41, severing both layers of film. As the'iilm is held close on each side of the knife, the cut will be clean and smooth. While the knife is passing` through the nlm, the stop 65 on the slide rides over the lever stop and thus prevents the slide being moved rearwardly to repass rthe knife through the film, without depressing the lever 63. The slide is now worked back and forth several times between thev limits defined by the lengagement of the stops 65 and 66 with the lever stops 64. This movement passes the wet wick 45 and wire brush 47 repeatedly under the film, so that the gelatine on the sensitized lower side of the film is scrapedv away to expose the material of the iilm. Duringy this operation, the movable lip 41 rides on the cam 59, which presses it up against the presser foot 70, so that the end of the film on the right hand table is tightly clamped. When the operator is satisfied that the gelatine has been thoroughly cleared off the exposed portion of film on the left hand table, he depresses the lever 63 to disengage the stops 64 and 66 and draws the slide forwardly, so that the drying and polishing roll 48 is brought under the cleaned end of the film. At about the time the drying roll engages the film, the arm 56 of' the cement well cover strikes the post 62, so thatcontinued movement of the slide causes the cover to be lifted away, exposing the wheel. rAs the cover commences to lift, the pinion 54 engages the rack 55 and the wheel is rot-ated, with the result that when it passes under the film, it is coated with wet cement from the well, which is transferred to the cleaned and burnished end of the film on the left hand table. The springs 53 force the wheel tightly against the film, so that the cement is positively appliedand also so that rotation of the roll after the pinion leaves thc rack will be assured. Immediately after the cementing wheel passes under the film, the striker 61 engages the tail of the latch and oscillates to to release the frame 30 and table top 2S, which are moved inwardly by the spring 30. The movable lip 41 being 4free of the cani .59 is depressed by the presser lOO Mamie jfoot 70, so that the upper; surface of the film end thereon is below the .lower surface of the cleaned andfcement coated film on the left-,hand table. When the framey 30 'moves inwardly, it therefore causes an overlapping of the film ends and brings the movablepli'p 41 vunderthe-coi'fer extension y69. fImmediatelyl this overlapping occurs, 'the presser lever y52 runslunder the lip. 41

and presses it verytightly. up against Vthe rigid cover eXtension,' so that the freshly cemented andoverlapped endsV of the kfilm are pressed ytightly together.: When -the presser lever is centrallydisposed under the table extension, thev slide stop l5, reachesthe end-of itsgroove 14 andthe slidev` comes `to rest, rlhe operator novvrletsthe machine stand for as long as may be necessary for the vcement to set. He then opens both covers andi lifts out lthe film, which Will be found neatly and vsecurely spliced. The surplus overlappage of the ends, Which Was trimmed off yby the cutting operation, Will either fall off or may-be easily removed. With the covers still open, the lever 63 is depressed and the slide driven as far rearwardly as it will go. The machine is now ready to make another splice. In -this rear- Ward motion, the striker 6l disengages the latch 37, which is drawn by its spring 39 against the-catch 38. As the rearward motion continues, the cam 60 drives the plunger outwardly, thus resetting the frame and table top. Vhen the frame resumes its outer position, the latch is drawn into positionr by its spring to hold the frame out against Well cover arm 56 then disengages from thel the action of the spring 34. The cement post 62 and the cover is closed by the spring 57. Ifk the machine is to remain idle .for any length of time, it is advisable to empty the Well 44 of Water or other Washing liquid and cleanse the Wick and brush and also to empty the cement Well 49 and cleanse the cementing Wheel.

It Will be very readily understood from the foregoing description that the cleaning and overlapping of the film ends may be dono much more rapidly and accurately by this means than is possible by hand, With-y out a great expenditure of time.` When a quick-drying cement is used, the pause necessary for the cement lto set Will kbe very brief, and in anycase, less than the time which Would be consumed in holding or` clamping the ends by hand. Wherea great y number of splices are made, each operator.

relatively movablefilm Aholding elements',

means urgingsaid elements .into overlappingy relation, va latch holding said elements out of overlapping relation, means for automatically cutting, cleaning and cementing thefilm movable relatively to the holding elements and `arranged to automatically trip said latch on the completion ofthe cutting,

vcleaning and cementing operations.

2. `In combination With a device according tov claiml l, means for resettingthe'holdingelements in normal relation.

s 13;. In combination With a device'according to claim 1,'means for pressing film ends overlapped by the overlappingofv the holding elements.v

' 4. In'combinationfwithadevicey accord- -iiig to claim l, a movable `lip on one holding element, a rigid liplon the other holding element and a film cutting knife movable berelatively movable film holding elements, an

independently movable lip on one of said elements, means for depressing said lip and film'thereon, out ofalignment With the film in the otheraholder, means for moving the holding elements to bring the film ends into elements against movement.

6. Incombination With a device according to claim 5, means foi' cutting, cleaning and cementing a' film in the holding eleoverlapping relation and alatch holding the ments arranged to trip the latch and release the holding elements for movement on completion of the cementing operation.

7. In combination ivith a device according to claim 6, a cam on said cutting, clean-A ing and cementing meansholding the lip against depression'until just prior to the,

overlapping operation. y

8. In a film splicing machine, a pair of tables, one having a fixed top and the other a movable top, means for clamping a film4 to the table tops, a frame connected to the movable top and carrying clamping means therefor, and means for moving the tops iiito and out of overlapping relation.

9. In a film splicing machine, means for automatically cutting, cleaning and cementing the film, the cenienting means including a reservoir, a Wheel operating therein, a cover for the reservoir and Wheel operating means for automatically rotating said Wheel prior to the cementing operation to present a freshly wetted portion of the Wheel to a film, means for automatically re-` moving the cover at the commencement of the cemeiiting operation and means for pressing the Wheel tightly against the film whereby rotation of the Wheel is continued.

l0. Ina film splicing machine, film holdp ing means, a'- 'reciprocatable member carrying iilm cutting, cleaning, cementing and splice pressing devices, and automatically operating lined and movable stops holding the carrying member against return to a kpoint Which will bring the film cutting device a second time into contact with the hlm, whereby only the cleaning device may be reciprocat'ed relatively to a. film.

' ll. in a iilm splicing machine, a ilm holding device, a reciprocatable member carrying lilm cutting, cleaning, cementing and splice press-ing devices, a pair of stops mounted' on said member, an abutment mounted on the film holder, said abutment and stops being located to limit reciprocation of the holding member relatively to the film to the Zone of the cleaning device, and means for moving the abutment lout of the path of the stops, whereby the cementing and splice pressing devices may be brought into the line of the film and the cutting device repassed through the zone of the film.

l2. In a iihn splicing machine, a base, iilin holding means, and a reciprocatable member carrying film cutting, cleaning, cementing and splice pressing devices mounted thereon, a movable abutment on said base, a pair of stops mounted on said carrying member, one of them being movable in one direction past said abutment to permit passage of' the cutting means through a film and operating to hold the cutting means against.repassage through the lm and said second stop normally operating to hold the cementing and splice pressing devices from engagement with a film.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

MAURICE METZGER. 

